Asset spend-down estimator
Michigan · 2026 limits
Michigan MDHHS still counts most bank and brokerage balances toward a $2,000 applicant resource limit for nursing facility Medicaid and MI Choice waiver services. This page runs asset spend-down math for Wayne County, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Ann Arbor, and every other Michigan county using posted 2026 federal CSRA brackets.
Enter marital status and countable assets for the person who will file with Michigan MDHHS. The form applies the $2,000 single cap and federal CSRA range ($29,724 to $162,660) when a spouse stays home.
Gloria in Ann Arbor listed $64,800 across a University of Michigan Credit Union savings account and a Fidelity brokerage statement for her husband Harold. Washtenaw County MDHHS treated the full balance as countable, so the raw gap opened near $62,800 before the community spouse allowance.
Common mistake: Moving Harold's IRA into Gloria's name without a plan. MDHHS still traces the account through five years of statements. List every account you will hand to your eligibility specialist before you shuffle titles.
These figures come from Michigan agency policy and federal CSRA updates. Call your local eligibility office if your case involves waivers, estate recovery, or managed care plans.
| Rule | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Single applicant resource limit | $2,000 | Michigan MDHHS |
| Couple resource limit (both applying) | $3,000 | Michigan MDHHS |
| CSRA minimum (2026) | $29,724 | Federal CMS update |
| CSRA maximum (2026) | $162,660 | Federal CMS update |
| Look-back period | 60 months | Michigan MDHHS transfer rules |
| Home equity cap (2026) | $713,000 | Federal minimum |
| Burial fund exclusion | $1,500 | Michigan MDHHS handbook |
| Vehicle exclusion | One vehicle | Michigan MDHHS handbook |
| Nursing facility income cap (2026) | $2,901 / month | Federal SSI-related amount |
| Medically Needy Income Level (MNIL) | $1,330 / month | Michigan MDHHS |
| Income spend-down path (LTC) | Qualified Income Trust required above cap | Michigan MDHHS |
| Primary program | Nursing facility / MI Choice waiver | Michigan MDHHS |
The widget subtracts Michigan countable resources from the posted limit for your filing status. Single applicants compare savings against $2,000. Married couples where both seek coverage use the $3,000 couple cap.
When only one spouse applies and the other stays home, the tool splits total assets. Half of the combined balance becomes the Community Spouse Resource Allowance, floored at $29,724 and capped at $162,660 for 2026. The applicant may keep $2,000 on top of that protected share.
Thomas and Eleanor in Grand Rapids held $214,000 between IRAs and a Lake Michigan Credit Union joint account. Kent County MDHHS counted the IRAs, set Eleanor's CSRA near $107,000, and still expected Thomas to spend or convert the remainder through allowed channels before the nursing facility month billed.
Common mistake: Entering only the applicant's name on joint accounts. Michigan MDHHS divides jointly owned liquid accounts unless you prove otherwise. Type the full household balance you expect on the DHS-1171 Assistance Application.
A positive spend-down number is the countable dollars Michigan still expects you to remove before the first eligibility month. It is not an approval letter. Your local MDHHS office can reject the file if a vehicle, homestead, or promissory note was misclassified.
A $0 result means your inputs already sit at or below the limit after CSRA math. You may still owe income planning. Nursing facility applicants above $2,901 monthly must route excess income through a Qualified Income Trust even when assets pass.
Denise in Detroit saw $0 asset spend-down but $720 monthly income over the cap. Her attorney opened a Miller Trust at a Detroit-area bank before Wayne County MDHHS finalized the packet. Asset math alone would have missed that step.
Common mistake: Treating a $0 asset gap as automatic Medicaid approval. MDHHS still checks nursing facility level-of-care forms, citizenship documents, and five-year transfer history.
This page does not score MI Choice functional eligibility, MI Health Link enrollment rules, or penalty months from gifts. Michigan divides the average daily nursing facility rate into transfer penalties, and that divisor changes with market rates.
The form does not value an Upper Peninsula cabin, family farmland near Lansing, or a spouse's 401(k) still at work. Each asset class follows a different MDHHS worksheet line.
MDHHS also runs an estate recovery program after death for members 55 and older who received nursing facility or certain community services. Planning conversations belong with a Michigan elder law attorney before you spend six figures on home repairs.
Common mistake: Gifting $28,000 to an adult child nine months before filing. MDHHS can impose penalty months with no coverage even if assets later fall below $2,000. Pay legitimate debt and care invoices instead.
Michigan administers Medicaid through the Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). Long-term care applications start at your county MDHHS office in places like Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Ann Arbor, and across Wayne County.
Nursing facility Medicaid requires a Michigan Medicaid Nursing Facility Level of Care Determination (LOCD) before MDHHS approves the stay. MI Choice waiver slots cover certain home-based services, but asset tests still follow the same $2,000 resource standard for the applicant.
Michigan does not offer a broad medically needy income spend-down for nursing facility cases the way Pennsylvania does. Families above the $2,901 monthly income cap must assign excess funds to a Qualified Income Trust with a Michigan trustee. Community applicants may use the $1,330 MNIL for income spend-down on other Medicaid categories.
MI Health Link serves full-benefit dual eligibles in certain counties through managed care plans. Nursing facility applicants outside that program usually stay on fee-for-service Medicaid, but the $2,000 asset cap still applies.
Community spouses may keep the greater of the CSRA calculation or certain income protections under spousal impoverishment rules. The state uses the federal maximum home equity cap of $713,000 in 2026 unless a spouse or dependent child still lives in the house.
Burial spaces, one vehicle, and up to $1,500 in a designated burial fund can be excluded if titled correctly. Prepaid funeral contracts follow separate MDHHS policy memos.
Look-back reviews cover asset transfers made within 60 months before application. Penalty length equals the uncompensated transfer amount divided by the average monthly nursing facility cost published by MDHHS.
Rural applicants in the Upper Peninsula follow the same resource test as families in Oakland and Macomb counties. MI Choice wait lists vary by region, but the $2,000 asset cap does not.
Common mistake: Assuming Michigan exempts a second home because it is "in the family." Non-homestead real estate counts unless occupied by a spouse or dependent child under MDHHS rules. Budget property taxes and sale costs before you rely on an appraisal.
| Asset | Michigan rule |
|---|---|
| Primary home | Exempt if applicant, spouse, or dependent child lives there or equity is below $713,000 (2026) |
| One vehicle | Exempt regardless of value for applicant or community spouse transportation |
| Household goods | Exempt personal property in the home |
| Burial fund | Up to $1,500 in a separately designated account |
| Prepaid funeral | Irrevocable funeral contract may be exempt with MDHHS documentation |
| Term life insurance | Exempt if face value is $1,500 or less |
| IRA / 401(k) | Countable unless receiving required minimum distributions treated as income |
| Second home or land | Countable; must be sold or spent down unless occupied by exempt relative |
Read our pillar guides for look-back rules, Miller Trusts, spousal allowances, and estate recovery. Start withwhat is Medicaid spend down or theasset limits guide if you are new to the topic.
These supporting posts cover countable assets, application steps, and spend-down strategies that pair with this calculator.
Asset caps differ sharply by state. California reinstated a $130,000 single limit in January 2026. Oklahoma and Louisiana still follow the $2,000 federal floor for many cases.
Michigan MDHHS uses a $2,000 countable resource limit for a single nursing facility or MI Choice applicant and $3,000 when both spouses apply. Certain exempt assets, like a primary home and one car, do not count toward that cap.
Michigan does not use a medically needy income spend-down for most nursing facility cases. Applicants above the $2,901 monthly income cap must use a Qualified Income Trust instead of stacking doctor bills. Community Medicaid may use the $1,330 MNIL for income spend-down.
When one spouse stays home, MDHHS protects between $29,724 and $162,660 of combined countable assets for the community spouse in 2026. The applicant may keep $2,000 in addition to that protected share.
Michigan reviews asset transfers made within 60 months before your application date. Gifts, below-market sales, and some trust funding can trigger penalty months without coverage.
Nursing facility applicants with gross income above $2,901 per month in 2026 generally must deposit excess income into a Miller Trust each month. The trust must be irrevocable and managed by a Michigan trustee.
County MDHHS offices collect the DHS-1171 Assistance Application and supporting statements. Call the MDHHS Beneficiary Help Line at (800) 642-3195 for your local office. Wayne County, Detroit, and Kent County see the highest volume.
Yes. MI Choice applicants face the same $2,000 countable resource limit as nursing facility Medicaid. Functional eligibility, LOCD paperwork, and waiver slot availability are separate steps MDHHS and your regional waiver agency handle after asset math passes.
No. Nursing facility Medicaid and MI Choice waiver slots follow different clinical rules. MDHHS still reviews MI Health Link enrollment notices, annuity titles, and five-year transfer history even when assets pass.
This calculator does not decide Michigan Medicaid eligibility and is not legal or financial advice. Verify figures with Michigan MDHHS or your county eligibility office before you transfer property or file an application.
